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About

Jingting Qu is a rising innovator in soft robotics, specializing in untethered systems, bio-inspired locomotion, and wearable assistive devices. Their core research addresses a critical challenge: how to make soft robots truly portable and autonomous without sacrificing performance. Qu’s most impactful work introduces discrete pneumatic-tendon-coupled actuators (PTCAs), which cleverly combine pneumatic compliance with tendon-driven control using an interconnected air circuit. This breakthrough enables untethered soft robots to overcome the energy and speed limitations of single-actuation methods. In their highly cited 2024 paper (12 citations), Qu demonstrates how PTCAs achieve variable stiffness and robust locomotion, paving the way for practical field robots. Their subsequent work on the Untethered Soft Rolling Robot (11 citations) showcases a novel design that balances agility, terrain adaptability, and impact resistance—a significant step toward real-world deployment. Qu also advances portable soft wearables with a 3D-printed passive bellow actuator (7 citations), reducing system complexity while maintaining high compliance. Most recently, their amphibious robotic dog (2025) integrates efficient paddling gaits, expanding quadruped robots into aquatic environments. With over 30 citations in just two years, Qu’s work is rapidly shaping the future of autonomous, versatile soft robots.